AP Fact Check on Florida Requesting Menstrual Cycle Data Goes Horribly Wrong…for DeSantis Haters

AP Fact Check on Florida Requesting Menstrual Cycle Data Goes Horribly Wrong…for DeSantis Haters

Late last week, the Associated Press ran a fact check related to the claim that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis requires all female student-athletes in the state to provide detailed information about their periods to compete in organized sports.

The AP found it was false.

AP’S ASSESSMENT: False. The Florida High School Athletic Association is weighing the recommendation from an advisory committee, but no final decision has been made. DeSantis’ education commissioner is a member of the association’s board of directors and the commissioner also appoints three others, but the association is a private nonprofit organization, not a state agency under the purview of the governor’s office.

…[T]he proposed mandate hasn’t had final approval, and wasn’t developed by DeSantis’ office.

Florida currently asks female high school athletes to provide information about their menstrual cycle on health forms required to participate in sports, but it is not mandatory.

Ryan Harrison, the association’s spokesperson, confirmed the new recommendations were developed by its sports medicine advisory committee and approved in late January. It will now be considered by the association board of directors at its next meeting in Gainesville from Feb. 26-27.

A brouhaha broke out on social media once the story was published, not helped by the exceedingly misleading headline associated with the article: Florida weighs mandating menstrual cycle details for female athletes

[Note: The words “Fact Check” might have been useful in the title, not just in the URL].

Many DeSantis haters went into full drama mode on social media. American Federation of Teachers president Randi Weingarten practically choked on the pearls she clutches so tight.

This is dystopian. And creepy. And government intrusion. Forcing girls to detail their menstruation to their schools, to the state, should scare everyone. https://t.co/wb0b5LsyXG

— Randi Weingarten 🇺🇦🇺🇸💪🏿👩‍🎓 (@rweingarten) February 4, 2023

If Weingarten’s priorities were on school students, she might have known over 40 states already collect such information.

At least 44 states currently require or request the asking of female high school athletes for information about their “menstrual period,” Outsports has found through a state-by-state examination of publicly available “preparticipation physical evaluation” forms, as they are commonly called.

…Outsports has reviewed the websites of the high school sports associations and Departments of Education of all 50 states. At least 88% of the states include some form of pre-participation medical evaluation that requests or requires asking female athletes about their “menstrual period,” or similar questions.

Of the other six states, at least four — Maine, Massachusetts, Mississippi and Vermont — have recently asked these questions statewide or had the questions included by cities, sections or schools. It was not clear if these questions were included in statewide athlete pre-participation forms in 2022.

It’s unclear if New Hampshire has ever suggested questions about menstrual cycle or genitalia.

From publicly available content, Outsports could find forms for only one state — Oklahoma — that do not seem to ask questions about menstrual periods in 2022. The state does include a supplemental “biological sex at birth affadavit.”

The DeSantis team responded rapidly and effectively to the nontroversey.

Rapid response director Christina Pushaw and deputy press secretary Jeremy Redfern responded to [former U.S. Surgeon General Jerome] Adams, who currently works as Purdue University’s health equity director, pointing out that Florida is not the only state to consider the requirement.

“Purdue’s ‘Health Equity director’ is apparently unaware of the questions on Purdue Athletics’ forms,” Pushaw wrote, displaying a questionnaire requesting females offer the date of their last menstrual cycle.

Purdue’s “Health Equity director” is apparently unaware of the questions on Purdue Athletics’ forms. https://t.co/pZXkySXPyE pic.twitter.com/bONBAngPnB

— Christina Pushaw 🐊 🇺🇸 (@ChristinaPushaw) February 5, 2023

Redfern had a particularly amusing take.

WHY WOULD FLORIDA DO THIS?!?!?

Just kidding. This is Hawaii’s form. https://t.co/gCQMr9a45E pic.twitter.com/yxX5kqI0Ff

— Jeremy Redfern (@JeremyRedfernFL) February 5, 2023

Once again, the DeSantis hates have covered themselves in shame. However, I am sure they will find ways to embarrass themselves further over the next 2 years.

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